Gas chromatography facility upgrade

土木工程系环境工程组的研究人员正在寻求升级一台已有11年历史的气相色谱/质谱仪（GC/MS）。 计算机操作系统将从Windows 95升级到Windows XP，ChemStation软件将升级到最新的兼容32位版本。 硬件升级将使质谱仪检测器（MSD）电子系统达到当前标准。 这将确保仪器将继续得到技术代理Agilent的支持。 对旧版（5973 A）MSD的支持最近已过期。 这意味着安捷伦将不保证在发生故障时部件的可用性。 升级后的（5973 N）MSD将由Agilent支持至2013年。 升级还将提高仪器产生的数据质量。 新软件将比旧的ChemStation软件更容易使用，旧的ChemStation软件是出了名的难用。 一个主要的优势是，研究生在仪器上进行分析将需要更少的培训时间。 UBC的研究人员正在为环境工程领域的各种研究项目做出前沿贡献，这些项目包括与天然沃茨，饮用沃茨，城市径流，废水沃茨，土壤和垃圾填埋材料，渗滤液，沉积物，污泥以及工业废物和产品相关的有机成分等主题。 这些正在进行的项目严重依赖GC和GC/MS分析。

Researchers in the Environmental Engineering group in the Department of Civil Engineering are seeking to upgrade an 11-year old Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS).  The computer operating system will be upgraded to Windows XP from Windows 95 and the ChemStation software will be upgraded to the latest compatible 32 bit version.  The hardware upgrade will bring the Mass Spectrometer Detector (MSD) electronics system to current standards.  This will ensure that the instrument will continue to be supported by the technical agent, Agilent.  Support for the old (5973A) MSD has recently expired.  This means that Agilent will not guarantee the availability of parts in the event of a breakdown.  The upgraded (5973N) MSD will be supported by Agilent until 2013.  The upgrade will also improve the quality of data produced with the instrument.  The new software will be much easier to use than the old ChemStation software which is notoriously difficult to use.  One major advantage is the fact that graduate students performing analyses on the instrument will require much less time in training.  Researchers at UBC are making leading edge contributions to the field of environmental engineering over a diverse range of research projects that includes such topics as organic constituents associated with natural waters, drinking waters, urban runoff, wastewaters, soils and landfill materials, leachates, sediments, sludges, and industrial wastes and products.  These ongoing projects rely heavily on GC and GC/MS analysis.